Even more heat for western provinces that suffered forest fires this spring, and likely no change for a central Canada still hoping for sunny skies鈥攖he forecast for Canada鈥檚 summer is looking like more of the same, Environment Canada鈥檚 Dave Phillips says.
The agency鈥檚 senior climatologist spoke to CTV News Channel Friday morning, on the first official day of summer, to share his outlook for the coming months. Phillips said that current weather patterns aren鈥檛 likely to shift fast, and he admitted wishing we could 鈥渃hange the weather around.鈥�
鈥淏ring the West, what they鈥檝e had, to us 鈥� and give them the kind of moisture that we鈥檝e had,鈥� he suggested. 鈥淲e鈥檇 be happy campers, but it doesn鈥檛 work that way.鈥�
Typically by this time, he said, the first 鈥渢aste of summer鈥� has already arrived. But this year, it鈥檚 been largely confined to western Canada.
鈥淲e had some pretty dry conditions, of course, that lead to forest fires,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen temperatures that have gone up to 35, 36 degrees. So clearly some summery-like weather there in the spring. Here, in the eastern part of Canada, we鈥檙e still waiting. It鈥檚 like spring was sort of missing in action.鈥�
Freezing rain warnings on May 1 in some parts of Ontario. Communities across provinces experiencing temperatures several degrees below average levels. Severe flooding in parts of Ontario and Quebec. It鈥檚 been a difficult spring.
In eastern and central Canada, 鈥渨e really have had no lead-up, no dress rehearsal with regards to the summer-like weather,鈥� Phillips said.
鈥淟ast year, some people complained that we had too much summer. This year it may be that we don鈥檛 have enough summer.鈥�
According to Environment Canada, the summer weather is looking to be a continuation of the spring.
It鈥檚 expected to get warmer and warmer the more west you are. While British Columbia and Alberta are likely going to be high above normal temperatures, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will be warmer than normal, but closer to past summer temperatures. Phillips said the Maritimes are 鈥済oing to see some southerly air coming up to them.鈥�
But in Ontario and Western Quebec, 鈥渨here millions of Canadians live and are waiting anxiously for some indication that summer is going to happen, it just may be more of the same,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淗ere in the central part (of Canada), it鈥檚 been rain, rain, and more rain, we just can鈥檛 string two or three good days in a row!鈥�
Temperatures are expected to be 鈥渃omfortable鈥� there, unlike the heat that and prompted coast to coast heat warnings last summer.
Meanwhile, western regions could struggle to see much rain, according to Environment Canada.
Precipitation is difficult to predict over a three month period, but current models are showing that areas already suffering from dryness in western Canada are going to stay dry, Phillips said. And, although there were some 鈥渕illion dollar rains鈥� on some of the southern prairies this week, he said, farmers will need more than that 鈥� the opposite problem that Ontario is having.
鈥淭here are some good things about a lacklustre kind of a summer,鈥� Phillips said about central Canada鈥檚 predicament. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think people will be dying because of the weather.鈥�
But he acknowledged that some residents in Ontario and central Canada may be frustrated.
鈥淲e had a tough fall, a tougher winter, the spring has been disappointing, so I think we鈥檙e thinking that we鈥檙e owed some summer-like weather,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ature never pays attention to our needs.鈥�
